Some otherwise healthy children may show signs of being allergic to nuts. In one instance a lady wrote to ask about her sons condition as she though that her son was allergic to cashew nuts. The lady reported that when her son ate cashews his eyes developed swelling and he complained of itchiness in the conjunctivae. Though the symptoms of allergy recede without medical attention the child never suffered from any other reaction. The child had eaten other kinds of nuts such as peanuts without showing any signs of an allergy. In such a scenario was it necessary for the lady to have her son tested for nut allergy?

Perhaps not. The very first precaution to take would be to teach the child not to eat cashews. This is because it was observed that the child had developed what seemed to be an allergic reaction the first time he ate cashew nuts. The child should be taught not to eat cashew nuts and that he should make it a point to request adults that usually serve him food not to serve him food containing cashew nuts. If the child has developed reading abilities the parents of the child as well as the child should make it a habit to read the labels of any food stuff they buy. Labels on packaging of biscuits and cookies are a good place to start since these foods generally have some content of nuts.

It may be probable that the child will not be able to tell the difference between cashews and other nuts just by inspecting them it would be a great idea to teach him never to eat any form of nut unless one of his parents permits him to eat it. It is also a good idea to inform his school as well as family and friends of his allergic tendencies to cashews.

An important part of preventing him from suffering more than he should from his allergy to cashews is to talk to the doctor about his condition. The doctor may be able to come up with an action plan should he think that the child has an adversity to cashew exposure. The doctor may suggest that you keep a bottle of Benadryl in the house or perhaps some other form of an antihistamine. If the condition is too serious the doctor may advise the patient to keep an epinephrine injection handy all the time to counter an emergency.

It is unfortunate that allergies caused by food stuff is increasing by the day. It is not certain that the child suffering from an allergic reaction to cashews will never suffer a life-threatening situation. The fact that he has not suffered on till date is no guarantee that he never will. It is always better to be prepared. The best way to be prepared it to be informed.

The patient being discussed here has had other forms of tree nuts and never suffered a reaction. This is one indication that allergy reaction is not necessary. Allergy testing is carried out only to determine if a patient is allergic to certain allergens. In this clinical scenario the symptoms were quite suggestive of speci fic food allergy.and we already know that he is allergic to cashews so testing may not be required. However it is necessary to take the expert advice of a doctor if your child has symptoms of food allergy. No allergy should be ignored. The underlying reasons could  be life threatening.